What is VPN split tunneling?

Virtual private network (VPN) split tunneling lets you route some of your application or device traffic through an encrypted VPN, while other applications or devices have direct access to the internet. Can you choose which traffic goes through a VPN split tunnel?

How does split tunneling work?

Split tunneling is a software concept that essentially “splits” your internet connection into two. By doing this, your VPN provider creates two connections for you to use online: one connection that uses a secure VPN tunnel to encrypt all your data, and another that allows you to connect directly to the internet.

What is URL-based split tunneling?

URL-based split tunneling lets you choose exactly which URLs you want to be encrypted through the VPN. This is usually done using a VPN browser extension. App-based split tunneling works in a similar way, as it lets you choose which apps you want to be routed through your VPN, while the rest of your traffic travels through your regular network.

Is split tunneling free?

The facility for split tunneling is only available in very few VPNs and none of those specialized VPNs are free to use. Free VPNs typically can’t get past location blocks on video streaming sites and they can really slow down your connection. Be cautious of free VPNs because a lot of them are scams.